1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to illuminated containers, and in particular to containers illuminated by electro-luminescent lighting elements.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Electro-luminescent elements have been used to decorate and enhance the appearance of objects in a variety of contexts, ranging from shoes, clothing, and backpacks to flying objects, bicycles, signs, audio equipment, night lights, and wristwatches. In the container art, on the other hand, decoration has been limited to static printed or painted designs, and incandescent or LED displays which provide background illumination for the printed or painted designs.
Decorated containers have of course been used since the beginning of mankind, long before the invention of writing, to identify the contents of the container, the manufacturer of the contents, the manufacturer of the container itself, and the owner of the container, as well as to make political, social, and artistic statements. While the styles of decoration has evolved over time, however, the manner of decorating containers has changed little during the last 10,000 years. From the earliest geometric designs, to classical Greek amphorae and Ming Dynasty vases, and the modern coffee mug or Coke bottle, the decoration has always involved either the shape of the container, painting, or printing on the side of the container. Little has done, from the standpoint of technology, to improve upon the ancient decorating techniques.
This situation is no longer adequate. Unlike past times, in which a decorated container stood out, the modern world is saturated with decoration, and a decorated container no longer captures the attention it once did, no matter how artistic or clever the decoration. Supermarkets display thousands of containers, all designed to grab the attention of shoppers, while ordinary household items such as mugs and glasses can be easily manufactured to resemble the greatest artworks of the past. During seasonal events, such as Christmas, decorations are everywhere, all carrying generally the same message and competing for attention.
The present invention offers a way for containers to stand out, by adding electro-luminescent elements to the containers. Electro-luminescent elements differ from other types of lighting elements in that they not only provide light, but because of their paper thin dimensions and wide range of relatively bright colors, can be used to create artistic designs or messages, with low power consumption, rather than simply providing background for other designs.
While it has previously been proposed to add incandescent lighting elements or light emitting diodes (LEDs) to certain containers, such as beer or coffee mugs, such lighting elements are either too fragile or too bulky to be used on a functional or commercially viable container, and therefore have had limited usage. In the case of mugs, for example, the conventional incandescent lights or LEDs must be placed at the base of the mug, altering the basic container design and causing the center of gravity of the container to be higher, thereby affecting the stability of the mug.
The present invention solves these problems in a way which, while based on known technology, represents a quantum leap in the specific area to which the technology is applied, namely containers, adding elements of color and brightness to greatly increase the possibilities for creative design available to the container artisan for the first time since the invention of painting.